Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. THen David ſaid, This is the houſe of our Lord God, and this is the altar, &c.] That is, this is the place of which God ſpake long ſince by his ſervant Moſes, where he intended to have a houſe built which muſt be the ſettled place of his worſhip and ſervice, and where there muſt be an altar inſtead of this I have now ſet up; wherein onelyonly they muſt offer up ſacrifices unto him, Deut. 12.11. There ſhall be a place which the Lord your God ſhall chooſe to cauſe his name to dwell there, thither ſhall you bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your ſacrifices, &c. And this David knew, either by the diſcovery of the prophet Gad, who happely acquainted him with Gods purpoſe herein, or elſe thorough the ſpeciall inſtinct of Gods ſpirit, himſelf gathered ſo much from Gods ſending him to ſacrifice there, and from Gods miraculous teſtifying his acceptance of the ſervice there done him, by ſending fire from heaven to conſume the ſacrifice, chap. 21.26, 28.
Verſ. 2. And David commanded to gather together the ſtrangers that were in the land of Iſrael, and he ſet Maſons to hew, &c.] And the building of the Temple by the help of ſtrangers, was a notable type of the calling of the Gentiles: As for David that ſet them on work, he had received from God the pattern whereby the Temple was to be built, and every part thereof, chap. 28.11, 12, 19. and accordingly therefore he prepared many materials, and ſet theſe workmen on work about them, to which Solomon afterward added what was not done, when he came to enter upon the work, 1. Kings 5.17, 18.
Verſ. 3. And braſſe in abundance without weight.] So much that they weighed it not; it would have been too great a trouble and charge to receive it in, and deliver it out by weight.
Verſ. 5. And David ſaid, Solomon my ſonne is young and tender, &c.] See 1. Kings 3.7.
Verſ. 8. Thou haſt ſhed bloud abundantly, and hast made great warres; thou ſhalt not build an houſe unto my name, &c.] Becauſe the Temple was to be a type of Chriſt, and of the Church, and Chriſt is the king of peace, Heb. 7.2. and the Church was to be gathered not by warre and bloud-ſhedding, but by the preaching of the Goſpel the tydings of peace, therefore the Lord would not have the Temple built by David but by Solomon, who was a peacable prince; this is doubtleſſe the principall ground of this reaſon given why David might not build the Temple, as is evident, becauſe there is mention of the warres of David, in the proſecution whereof David did God good ſervice; yet withall, becauſe David was the cauſe of ſhedding the bloud of Urijah and thoſe that were ſlain with him, the Lord might alſo have reſpect to that, and by way of correction for it, to ſhew how diſpleaſing it was to him, might take in that amongſt the reaſons, why David might not have the honour to build the Temple.
Verſ. 10. He ſhall build an houſe for my name, &c.] See the notes upon 2. Sam. 7.13, 14.
And I will establiſh the throne of his kingdome over Iſrael for ever.] A great queſtion may be made how this promiſe made to David concerning his ſonne Solomon, was accompliſhed in Solomons poſterity, eſpecially if we hold that which many eminent Divines do with much earneſtneſſe maintain; namely, that Chriſt was not the ſonne of David by Solomon, but by Nathan: It is moſt probable, that none of the poſterity of Solomon did ever ſit in the throne of David, after Zedekiah was carried captive into Babylon; nor yet ever had the ſupreme power of government, after they returned from Babylon again: now therefore if this promiſe were not made good in the eternity of Chriſts kingdome, then it ſeems it was not made good at all: but to this I anſwer; Firſt, that by the Hebrew word, which is here tranſlated for ever, there is no more intended in many places, then a continuance for a long time, as here happely, that ſo long as the kingdome of Judah ſhould continue, one of Solomons poſterity ſhould ſit in the throne: Secondly, that this promiſe might be conditionall; to wit, that if his poſterity ſhould keep covenant with God, then they ſhould for ever ſit in the throne of David: And thirdly, that the promiſe might be made good in the eternity of Chriſts kingdome, in that Chriſt was that king of whom Solomon was a type; though he was not lineally deſcended out of the loines of Solomon.
Verſ. 12. OnelyOnly the Lord give thee wiſdome and underſtanding, and give thee charge concerning Iſrael, &c.] That is, and the Lord inſtruct thee, and direct thee how thou oughteſt to govern his people Iſrael; and in remembrance of this we ſee Solomon begged wiſdome of God, 1. Kings 3.9.
Verſ. 14. Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the houſe of the Lord, &c.] That is, I have prepared materials for the building of the houſe (that when thou comeſt to the crown, thou mayeſt the more readily ſet upon the work) not according unto my deſire, nor according to that which the tranſcendent Majeſtie of God might require, but according as I was able, by reaſon of my continuall troubles.
Verſ. 18. And the land is ſubdued before the Lord, and before his people &c.] The Lord is here joyned with Iſrael, as the king with his people; and that the rather, becauſe by the ſubduing of the land the people enjoyed their poſſeſſions and dwellings, and the Lord his worſhip and ſervice.